Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3338
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
Even the presence of eight anagrams didn’t stop this being a difficult crossword – harder than many a Dada Toughie – but I wasn’t expecting the repetition radar to beep – there are two instances of “is it?”, one in the Acrosses and one in the Downs
Please let us know what you thought
Across
7a County tennis in July perhaps broadcast? (8)
SOMERSET – A homophone (broadcast) of SUMMER SET (tennis in July perhaps)
9a Nasty French article, upset (6)
RANKLE – RANK (nasty) LE (French definite article)
10a Doing well – as penguin wouldn’t be! (6)
FLYING – Because penguins don’t fly!
11a Study with husband after failure of careers (8)
RESEARCH – H (husband) goes after an anagram (failure) of CAREERS
12a Where legendary archer operated, other foes with sword sorted out (8,6)
SHERWOOD FOREST – An anagram (sorted out) of OTHER FOES with SWORD
15a Extremely bloody rude! (4)
BLUE – An extremely bloody steak perhaps or a synonym for rude
17a Fracture below middle of limb (5)
ELBOW – An anagram (fracture) of BELOW
19a Equally heavy hollow pale (4)
ASHY – AS (equally) and the outside (hollow) letters of HeavY
20a Fakery, salt water of the saltwater variety? (9,5)
CROCODILE TEARS – TEARS of the saltwater CROCODILE
23a Racing motorbikes, weepy and sad after breaking down (8)
SPEEDWAY – An anagram (after breaking down) of WEEPY and SAD
25a Breakfast in bed, is it? (6)
KIPPER – A possible breakfast for someone lying in bed
27a Television programme with seedy family member, reportedly? (6)
SERIAL – A homophone (reportedly) of CEREAL (seedy family member)
28a Title that’s hard to see in blurred display (8)
LADYSHIP – H (hard) inserted into an anagram (blurred) of DISPLAY
Down
1d An absence of tree cut for Christmas? (4)
NOEL – NO ELm (an absence of a tree that has been ‘cut’)
2d Some measure of yarn, one pleading innocent (6)
DENIER – Different pronunciations mean different things
3d Lead sulphide originally, by-product of smoking (4)
STAR – The original letter of Sulphide and TAR (by-product of smoking)
4d Forces destroyed image in plaster? (6)
FRESCO – An anagram (destroyed) of FORCES
5d Discreetly, sun god arrived? (2,6)
IN CAMERA – IN CAME RA
6d Spider bird? (10)
FLYCATCHER – A description of a spider or a type of bird
8d Italian man put initial on solid material (7)
SIGNORE – SIGN (put initial on) ORE (solid material)
13d Being unhinged, the police inspector’s ultimate craft (10)
HELICOPTER – An anagram (unhinged) of THE POLICE and the ultimate letter of inspectoR
14d Name perfect emirate (5)
DUBAI – DUB (name) A1 (perfect)
16d Deep site, core molten (8)
ESOTERIC – An anagram (molten) of SITE CORE
18d Drunk on the rocks, is it? (7)
WRECKED – Slang for drunk or a description of a ship on the rocks
21d Bright yellow ink container for writer (6)
ORWELL – Heraldic term for gold (bright yellow) and WELL (ink container)
22d US city needing a little help, as overpopulated (2,4)
EL PASO – Hidden in hELP AS Overpopulated
24d University lockers? (4)
YALE – An American university or a company that makes locks and keys
26d Criminal charged up (4)
EVIL – A reversal (up) of LIVE (charged)